There are certain moments when you realize you’re witnessing substantial history being written right before your eyes. Those moments are often humbling and incredibly emotional. That was the case for all of us here at Beautiful Gate Lesotho last Friday (20 January, 2017). It was a day where we celebrated the handover of Beautiful Gate Lesotho’s directorship from Bryan and Anita Geurink to Peter and Lindiwe Kirstein. It was a highly anticipated day, charged with a full gamut of emotions, laughter, joy, singing, tears, and camaraderie.
We were not only celebrating a change in leadership, though. We were also celebrating the rich, deep history of Beautiful Gate Lesotho. We welcomed people from all over the world who have had a hand in making Beautiful Gate what it is today. We were especially privileged to have Ray and Sue Haakonsen, the original founders of Beautiful Gate Lesotho with us. They shared the story of BGL’s modest beginnings, of how God worked through their hearts, and how their humble “yes” to God’s call in their lives set in motion a project that would affect children and families the world over.
We were blessed to relive the Geurinks’ and the Kirsteins’ stories of how God brought them to Beautiful Gate as well. We remembered the innumerable ways that God has walked with us, has provided for our every need, and has given us all abundant life in this place over the last 15 years.
We had the pleasure of sharing this experience with people who have and continue to support us at Beautiful Gate Lesotho in so many ways. Leadership from Beautiful Gate South Africa and International came alongside us to commemorate the event. Friends from businesses, churches, government, adoption agencies, and the local community surrounded us to help commission this next phase of Beautiful Gate’s history.
Ultimately, we celebrated God and His incredible work in and through Beautiful Gate Lesotho. From the very beginning Beautiful Gate has never been about its leaders and participants or their stories. From the very beginning Beautiful Gate has been about God and His story. He has raised up incredible, visionary people to be a part of that story. He has allowed so many individuals to come into His plan for this ministry in Lesotho. He has written their stories into His greater one. He has brought together people from different backgrounds and nations, with different sets of gifts in order to further His design. He placed people exactly where they needed to be exactly when they needed to be there. He has been faithful for 15 years and our celebration last Friday reminded us of that in the best way imaginable.
As we move forward now into this new era for Beautiful Gate Lesotho there is a great deal of change ahead of us. As always, people come and people go. But we have a renewed strength and hope that the One who never changes continues to lead and guide us in this mission. No matter how much Beautiful Gate Lesotho continues to grow and change, it will forever be God’s story and a testimony to the great love and faithfulness He shows to His children.
- Tyler Robbert
****Click on the picture below for a beautiful slide show of the days events
